


Threats of Genuine Mortality (Magnus and Alec)

by orphan_account



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: M/M, Malec, Malec Angst, Malec Fluff, Sad Magnus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-01
Updated: 2015-08-01
Packaged: 2018-04-12 09:03:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4473356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Magnus Bane takes Alec Lightwood on a trip to Colombia to fight rogue vampires with Ragnor Fell and find themselves in a straw hut with now coffee, no electricity, and terribly doomed situations and circumstances.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Threats of Genuine Mortality (Magnus and Alec)

Midmorning sun crept through Magnus’s blinds, causing him to stir awake. He yawned, attempting to stretch before realizing that Alec was nuzzled into his shoulder blade, fast asleep. Most mornings Alec was awake before Magnus, making coffee and making the occasional batch of pancakes. This morning Magnus felt that he was at an advantage, able to soak up more images of Alec throughout the day. It was a rare occasion to see Alec asleep in the morning, his face serious as he slept, half buried in Magnus’s tee shirt. His heart swooned with affection as he looked at Alec, taking in everything about this moments. It was mornings like this that sent shock waves of excitement and love through his four hundred year old warlock heart.

Magnus turned his face down and kissed Alec softly on the forehead, causing him to stir in his sleep, before waking up, resting his eyes on Magnus’s face. A smile crept across his lips “Good morning Magnus.” He greeted, sitting up slightly, still snuggled into Magnus’s shoulder.

“Good morning Alexander.” Magnus replied, unable to hide the affection in his voice. Magnus always sounded overly affectionate when it came to Alec, but Alec didn’t notice it. It’s as if he didn’t believe anybody could be overly affectionate about him. Sometimes Magnus wanted to hug Alec so tight that all his chipped and battered pieces fit together again. Magnus wanted to be his glue.

The downside to these mornings is that somehow a sad tone always seemed to creep in at a moment like this. Where Magnus’s thoughts trailed off into a shadowy narrow path in the woods that led him to the icy and genuinely terrifying topic of immortality. He was going to outlive Alec, as he’d outlived many, many of his other loves, but Alec was different. So different, and Magnus didn’t know if he was going to be able to handle it. “Alec.” Magnus breathed softly, and Alec locked eyes with him again, sitting up fully.

“Are you breaking up with me?” Alec asked, his voice mocking but with an underlying note of lowkey concern.

Magnus chuckled. “Quite the opposite. I was just thinking about immortality, and I don’t know.” He trailed off, staring at Chairman Meow who had just lazily strode into the room. Stupid cat, not a care in the world, not having to worry that his love would die.

“Tell me what you’re thinking.” Alec said. Magnus was so truly terrible at expressing his emotions and feelings that often Alec would have to coax it out of him.

“You’re going to die, Alec, and I’m going to have to mourn you. And I honestly can’t allow you to become another person in the list of people I’ve loved because you’re different. Alexander, you are so different from all the people that I’ve ever loved and to think that one day you will not be in my life is something so inconceivable.” Tears brimmed at the edges of Magnus’s eyes as he held Alec’s hand, his grip tightening.

“Magnus,” Alec said in such a whisper that Magnus almost hadn’t heard him. “You’ll be okay. I’ll be around to annoy you until I’m at least seventy.”

“Two things that just popped into my head.” Magnus began. Magnus was basically Alec’s own personal human ball of anxiety. “You’re a nephilim Alexander, you could die at basically any time. Nothing is set in stone. And also, even if you do live to be seventy something, time passes quicker for warlocks, I’ve been alive for four hundred years and soon another sixty is going to pass sooner than you think.”

Alec sighed, slightly caressing Magnus’s cheek. “You think too much, and it’s too early in the morning for me to get sad.”

Magnus laughed, pulling Alec closer and wrapping his arms around him like a boa constrictor. Except that boa constrictors didn’t have arms, although before Magnus got kicked out of Peru he had given a few carefully selected snakes some very nice pairs of arms. “We should make breakfast.” He said into Alec’s ear, releasing Alec and crawling out of bed, almost stepping on Chairman Meow. Chairman recoiled, hissing as he backed away and out of the room.

Alec was right. Magnus shouldn’t be thinking about immortality and death right now. He had a lovely boyfriend lying in his bed, and a kitchen full of pancake mix and coffee, what could be better? Alec followed Magnus down the hallway, dressed in a creme colored christmas sweater, which was long enough to cover his boxers. His hair was messy, sticking up in random patches. Magnus was wearing black cotton pajama pants that had little pigs adorned on them, what a couple they made.

Magnus walked into the kitchen picking up his phone and putting on some coffee house tunes. Alec always remarked how corny it was, but there was always a grin on his face when he said it so Magnus assumed that he secretly liked it. Magnus watched Alec walk over to the coffee pot, leaning over the counter as he turned it on, the sweater riding up to expose the small of his back. The light from the kitchen window illuminated the side of Alec’s face, sketching his cheekbone and the tip of his nose in lights and shadows where the light didn’t touch. How could one person be so perfect?

As Magnus stood there, lost in thought, the music paused, his phone ringing. He sprung back to life, looking down to see who was calling before he answered it. It was Ragnor Fell, his warlock friend who only called him these days if something was wrong. Magnus answered it quickly, earning the attention of Alec, who paused the process of making coffee. “Ragnor.” Magnus greeted, leaning against the counter top. “Is something the matter?”

“I’m in Colombia. There’s an infestation of vampires, they’re just attacking all of the villagers like it’s nothing. The clave here it doesn’t actually care, it’s small, there’s probably only two hundred nephilim in this country.” Ragnor said, filling Magnus in to the situation. “I could really use your help. You’re not banned from Colombia are you?”

Magnus glanced up at Alec, who was staring up at Magnus intently, and bit his lip before turning his attention back to the phone. “No I am not banned from Colombia, I’m banned from Peru. And I think you had something to do with it too, so please care to remember.” Magnus replied sarcastically, the snappy tone to his voice edging it’s way through. He didn’t want to go to Colombia and leave Alec for who knows how long. “But yes, I guess I have to help you with the vampire infestation.” Magnus said regretfully, adding in the problem in his response to clue Alec in. Impulsively Magnus added, “But I’m bringing Alexander Lightwood, advanced nineteen year old nephilim and beau.” With that Magnus hung up, the coffee house music starting up again as he turned to Alec.

A sly grin crept across Magnus’s face. “Would you like to accompany me on a little trip to Colombia, my dear Alexander?”

No, Alec didn’t exactly want to go to Colombia, but he didn’t want to stay behind either. Magnus would be gone one, two months, and Alec would have nobody. His sister was wrapped up entirely in the newly fledged shadowhunter, Simon Lewis, and his parabatai was wrapped up in Clary. Of course he would go with Magnus, it was barely a question.

So two hours later the two of them had packed, Alec had went back to the Institute to grab necessities and to let Izzy, and regretfully his family, know where he was off to, and were on their way to the airport. Alec wondered why Magnus didn’t just draw up a portal, but Magnus exclaimed that the adventure was within the travel, and also the kicking rogue vampire ass. Understandably, finding a flight from New York City to Colombia in a two hour time span was tricky, but Magnus had connections. After being alive four hundred years, you were sure to have connections just about anywhere. They would first travel to the Dominican Republic, and take a connecting flight to Colombia. They would arrive at around ten at night, and then find the house that Ragnor was staying at.

As they stepped inside of the airport, going through everything they needed to do to board the plane, a slight problem occurred. Alec didn’t have a passport, and Magnus’s expired in 1991. The lady at the customs gate eyed Magnus suspiciously, probably because he hadn’t aged a day since the picture was taken in around 1987. The two retrieved their luggage and walked outside, breathing in the dirty air of the smoking section around them. Magnus had had a smoking kick in 1930, but kicked the habit by the 40’s. Now the smell repulsed him, travelling through his lungs and seemingly nesting in his brain.

“So we’re portalling.” Magnus pointed out, giving Alec a small smile. “I should’ve realized my passport expired in the last century, and that you didn’t have one. We were a tiny bit stupid.” He laughed, earning Alec to laugh back, his face brightening as he laughed. It was a beautiful experience, watching Alec laugh.

“I guess we kind of have to portal considering the circumstances. Sorry we’ll miss out on the Dominican.” Alec said, following Magnus down the sidewalk to the bus stop. He couldn’t just make a portal at JFK, it was bound to draw some attention.

Magnus looked at Alec and grinned. “We’re not going to miss out on the Dominican. Ragnor expects us there at 10:30, and it’s only 12 o’clock. We have all day, and our first stop is the Dominican Republic.” Alec smiled, never quite knowing what to expect with Magnus Bane, the high warlock of Brooklyn.

They reached Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, by 12:30. It was beautiful there, and Alec was once again bombarded with the wanderlust of traveling with Magnus. Exploring beautiful lands with a beautiful man. Magnus was happier than anyone, dragging Alec to a small oceanside which wasn’t populated heavily. “We’re not even in our bathing suits!” Alec laughed, as Magnus picked him up bridal style and carried him to the water. “Magnus, don’t you dare.” Alec warned, his face cross, as Magnus tossed him in the water, drenching him in ocean water.

Alec sat up in the water, his face cross with half hearted anger. Magnus put his hands up, his cat eyes gleaming. “I couldn’t help it.”

Two hours later, after Alec had dried off without Magnus’s help, as he was pretending to be mad, and after they shared two pina colada filled coconuts on the beach, the two made a portal to Colombia. As they portaled into Colombia, Magnus found that they were right outside a tiny hut in the outskirts of a jungle. The hut had to be two rooms at most, it was one of the smallest houses Magnus had ever laid eyes on, and he spent a summer in Andorra. Ragnor must of heard them land, and came out to greet them, greener than ever. He was even smiling slightly, which rarely happened. “Magnus, hello. And this must be Alec Lightwood.” Ragnor said, turning his attention to Alec, an odd look sculpted across his face. “I still don’t really know what you see in a nervous and jumpy nephilim Magnus, but it’s nice to meet you all the same Alexander.”

Alec faked a smile and slightly turned his head away, pretending to inspect the hut. Magnus huffed. “I do wish it was Catarina who called me. She’s sensitive, and has feelings.” He remarked, drawing out an emphasis on feelings.

“Feelings?” Ragnor scoffed, ushering the two of them inside. “Never heard of them. Let’s go inside, it’s lovely.” As they walked into the hut, Magnus felt the sudden urge to walk out. It was small, and smelled like farm animals. That was probably because two goats sat in the east corner of the house in a pile of hay.

Ragnor was losing it. About one and a half centuries ago, Ragnor lost it for a while, and Magnus and Catarina spent half a decade getting him back on the right track. Magnus didn’t have the time or patience to do that again. “Ragnor, please tell me you find this place absolutely hideous, and not actually lovely.” Magnus said, looking over at Alec to find a horrified expression masked across his face.

Ragnor shook his head. “No, really, I think I need something like this now. It’s small, nice, and simple. I’ve been alive so many years Magnus, and so have you, you should understand.” Ragnor replied, grovelling.

“No. Not in any of my four hundred years on this planet have I ever desired to live in a small hut in Colombia surrounded by farm animals and hay. There is nothing appealing about this.” Magnus replied with a harshness to his voice that he automatically regretted. He saw Alec slightly recoil out of the corner of his eye. It seemed whenever Magnus was around Ragnor a harshness and bitterness escaped him. Ragnor really knew how to get under his skin.

“Anyway, you’re my friend, and I’m here to help. We’ll take care of the vampires in no time, isn’t that right Alexander?” Magnus said, turning to Alec.

Alec, who hadn’t spoken a word since they got to Colombia, finally piped in. “Yeah, it would really be great to know specifics though.” Alec began, addressing Ragnor. As him and Ragnor talked, an intent look on Alec’s face, Magnus leaned back against the wall of the hut. Alexander Lightwood, protector of the world.

 

Sleeping in the hut was even more uncomfortable than standing in the hut. They spent the rest of the day exploring around the tiny village Ragnor was staying at, drinking weird Colombian juices until midnight. Then Ragnor suggested they got some sleep, as tomorrow they would strategize how to take down the vampire nest, and he would give them all the specifics they needed. Magnus and Alec were asleep in Ragnor’s bed, while Ragnor slept on a cot. He apologized that he would’ve gotten two cots if he had a longer notice of Alec’s arrival, and then promptly caved and let the two of them sleep in his bed. It was barely a bed, if you would call it that, and springs were poking Magnus in the side. Magnus had his arm wrapped around Alec lazily, trying desperately to get comfortable.

Although Magnus had assumed that Alec was asleep, Alec rolled over, staring at Magnus in the moonlight. His blue eyes seemed as if they were the deepest ocean on the planet. “Is this not what you expected?” Alec joked.

“Ragnor is never like this.” Magnus explained. “He’s picky, and he’d never stay in a place like this and actually enjoy it. He’s going through his half century breakdown.”

Alec nodded, stifling a laugh. “Good night Magnus.” He said quietly before turning over.

“Good night.” Magnus replied before closing his eyes and drifting off into sleep.

“Rise and shine!” Ragnor exclaimed, poking Magnus zealously in the cheek, before leaning over and poking Alec in the head.

Magnus grumbled, turning over to glare at Ragnor. His green face shone in the early morning sunlight streaming in through the window. “It is in your best interest to walk away before I summon my father and make your immortality disappear.” He hissed, swinging his feet over the bed and standing up, his feet resting on strands of hay.

Alec got up a few moments later, rubbing his eyes and stretching. His tee shirt rode up and showed his stomach and he basically resembled a sleepy puppy. “Morning, what time is it?” He asked, searching the room for a coffee pot. After scanning the room a couple times he shook his head, looking at the ground.

“It’s eight, I’ve learned how to tell time based off the moon and the sun.” Ragnor said rather proudly, which Magnus frowned at.

“Have you really Ragnor? That is just lovely.” Magnus said mockingly, one of his eyebrows raised.

“Do you have anything resembling coffee?” Alec asked, scratching his head. “I mean, this is Colombia.”

Ragnor shook his head, a small smile on his face. “I like him, Magnus. He’s blunt but polite. Good attributes.”

 

“Why don’t we just go in there and kill all of the god damn vampires!” Magnus exclaimed, placing his head down on the ground. They had been drawing up plans for nearly three hours, and all they’d eaten were unripe bananas outside the hut. Magnus’s head was throbbing, and as he regretted to say it, he could really go for killing some god awful vampires right now. Not that all vampires were awful, Simon Lewis was good, when he was one, and Raphael, well, they weren’t going to talk about Raphael. “Is it so crazy to assume that we don’t need some elaborate scheme?”

Alec sighed along with Ragnor. The two of them had been getting along, both in need of control and running on being rather uptight. The two things he loved in Alec and hated in Ragnor. “Yes, Magnus, we do need a plan. We just can’t run in there killing all of the vampires, we’d have the small Colombian clave on our asses in two minutes flat.” Alec explained.

“We have to be inconspicuous.” Ragnor added, which earned a glare from Magnus. “Alec is right.”

“I have to say boys, I don’t enjoy being ganged up on.” Magnus said mockingly with a touch of sarcasm in his voice. “I’ll be outside, let me know when you come up with a plan.” Magnus stood, walking out the doors of the hut and attempting to slam the straw door shut without forcing it to come off the hinges completely. Magnus wasn’t even sure if there were hinges that held the door up, Magnus was only sure of one thing. He hated Colombia. He had hoped they would wipe out the vampires quickly, no mess, and then him and Alec would retire to a beautiful hotel and spend a week or so soaking up the beaches. Ragnor hadn’t told him how remote and rather bland this area of Colombia was.

Magnus leaned against the wall of the hut, sighing. The sun shone heavily on his head, seeming to bake his every thought. He shut his eyes, hearing the door of the hut swing open. The footsteps following were quiet and certain, and he knew it was Alec following him out. “Magnus.” Alec said softly, as Magnus opened his eyes into slits to peer at the face of his boyfriend. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to gang up on you.”

Magnus found himself smiling, and his sour mood being mystifyingly lifted. “I know, it was stupid for me to get upset.” He said, wrapping his arms around Alec and kissing him. He felt Alec’s body melt into his own just as it alway did, the softness and certainty of the kiss enveloping Magnus until all of the negative thoughts of Colombia washed away. How bad could a country be if you were kissing your boyfriend in it? “I love you.” He whispered into Alec’s mouth, before a swooping sound emitted through his ears, pain seared through his veins, and darkness took over, the world around him washing away.

 

Magnus woke in a room of stone, chains binding his hands. His surroundings reminded him deeply of the cell he was kept in in Edom, with Luke and Raphael, and panic swirled around his stomach, settling against his chest. Magnus turned his head to the right to see Alec, still knocked out, lying beside him, and Ragnor on his chest, a smug look on his face. Ragnor snapped his head to the side as he saw Magnus awakened. “Vampires, the ugly scum of Colombia.” Ragnor hissed, and despite the circumstances, Magnus was rather happy to see the grumpy and old Ragnor back.

He ignored Ragnor, turning his head to face Alec. “Alec.” Magnus said, sharply. Worry seeped through his veins when he didn’t see the steady rise and fall of his chest. Those worries were laid to rest and Alec’s eyes flicked open, turning to face Magnus.

“Where are we?” Alec groaned, standing up. He was the only one not chained, obvious reason because he couldn’t do magic. “I actually don’t care, let me unchain you.” He said, walking over to Magnus just as three vampires walked through the bolted door on their left. Alec stalled, his eyes slitting, as Magnus watched him go into defensive mode.

“Who are you?” Alec asked, his voice tough and unmoving. Magnus adored just how quickly Alec could change emotions, concerned to defensive, determined to offensive. It was the cold blooded shadowhunter in him paired with the sensitivity he was gifted with.

“My name is Jace Gomez.” Spoke the one in the middle, his voice icy cold. “I’m the leader of the southern Colombian vampire clan. These are Moreno and Jimenez, my first and second in command.”

The one on the right, Moreno, spoke once Gomez had finished. “You are not too good with secretly planning things, we have more sources around here than you may think.” He told the group, his voice thick and accented. He was the most colored of the group, although colored was not the proper name. His skin was still washed out, but was more pigmented than the others.

Magnus laughed, the sound bouncing off the walls, everyone in the room pausing to turn to him. Gomez raised a brow, giving Magnus a quite amused look as his two goons gave him glares that could’ve killed Magnus if he had cared even in the slightest. The only thing he was worrying about what getting Alec out of here. “Times up boys, let us out of here and we’ll portal back home, no harm done.”

Gomez laughed back, his laugh sharp and shallow. “You think I don’t know you, Magnus Bane? One of the trickiest, sneakiest warlocks of existence? You have hurt so many people just for sheer self enjoyment.” Gomez spat out, the amused look wiped clean off his face.

“And I know you love this nephilim, Alec Lightwood. And I sure am going to make you pay.” Gomez added, and it took Magnus a couple seconds to register what he meant. As it clicked, Magnus tried to rise, pulling on the chains that held him down.

“Don’t you hurt him.” Magnus hissed, warning Gomez, but Moreno and Jimenez were already on Alec, throwing him down onto the stone ground before he could even attack. They moved like lightning, pinning him down with a look of cold amusement in their eyes.

Magnus fought against the chains, fear dripping into him like an IV, but the chains held to the ground. He felt icy all over, as the real possibility of Alec’s death loomed into vision. Alec turned to Magnus, fear blasted on his face and set into his eyes. “Magnus.” He said quietly, as he tried to fight against the two men restraining him.

“Moreno, you’ve been quite a doll today, feed on the boy until there isn’t the last shred of life in his body.” Gomez ordered, his eyes twinkling as he locked eyes with Magnus.

“Don’t you dare!” Magnus screamed as a smile flit across Moreno’s face. “Alec, Alec, it’s okay,” He said desperately as he fought against the chains, his wrists rubbing against the metal and leaving him with burns. “I love you, it’s going to be okay.” Magnus exclaimed, fear taking over every particle of his body. He could hear Ragnor shouting something, and chains being pulled, but everything was starting to fade away.

He turned to Gomez, desperateness shining like a candle on his face. “Please.” He whispered, slumping back against the wall as he looked at Alec. Alec Lightwood, the love of his life, being taken out by two vampires right in front of his eyes and he couldn’t do anything about it. He was completely vulnerable. Alec’s eyes shone with fear, tears rimming against them. Magnus felt tears streak down his face, his voice hoarse from shouting.

The last thing he saw were Alec’s lips forming I love you, before Moreno bent down, biting Alec’s neck and draining him of all of the blood in his body. Magnus heard screaming, maybe it was him, as the waves crashed in his head, drowning out his surroundings.

 

Epilogue

Everything felt rather dull without Alec’s presence. Magnus’s bed felt so empty, and smelled so much of Alec’s shampoo that Magnus found himself sleeping in his spare room most nights. The vampires let both Magnus and Ragnor go, Gomez thought the sweet torture of seeing the love of your life die was punishment enough for whatever he thought Magnus had done. Although he had never stepped foot in Colombia before that encounter, Magnus knew it wasn’t worth arguing. Ragnor had portaled home with him that night, and stood by him as he called Izzy, letting her know. His voice was dull, broken, and he could hear the phone crash to the ground on Izzy’s side. Twenty minutes later she had showed up at the apartment alone, she hadn’t told her parents yet. Both sons, dead, she was truly alone. Magnus hugged her, feeling a pit in his stomach. She said sorry, and he said sorry, and then Jace, Clary, and Simon showed up, and everything was a blur. Magnus went to the bathroom and threw up, and later he was woken up by Catarina, her hand on his shoulder. She came a while after everyone else did, and she said the Lightwood’s had shown up too.

Fantastic, a great big mourning party, Magnus found himself thinking. He threw up again, pushed Catarina away, and walked past the gathering in his living room, saw the Lightwood’s crying, Izzy’s face tear streaked, and Jace, staring at the wall, tears forming in his eyes, and curled up in his bed, letting the tears fall until early morning. At some point Jace had walked in, sitting on the edge of his bed. Jace was Alec’s parabatai, he felt the moment Alec died.

“I knew, I knew the moment it happened, but I didn’t want to believe it.” Jace said, his voice shaky. “Then Izzy called, and I knew it was true, he was dead. I’m sorry Magnus, you loved him.” When Jace realized Magnus wasn’t going to reply, he was physically incapable of forming words, he nodded, exiting the room and closing the door, wrapping Magnus in darkness. 

Now it had been five days since Alec died. Magnus had stood with the Lightwoods and Jace, the most important people in Alec’s life, and watched his body burn. Magnus almost hadn’t been able to attend the ceremony, due to Robert and his homophobic tendencies, but Isabelle announced, her voice steady and angry that Magnus meant more to Alec than Robert ever had, and there was no way that Magnus wasn’t going to be there. Robert nodded submissively, and Magnus had stood there as the body of his boyfriend burned, willing himself not to cry.

People had milled in and out of his apartment, saying things that he didn’t really hear. Isabelle and him had worked out a silent agreement, she would sit on his floor and they would sit in silence, crying together. It was odd and unorthodox for Magnus, but it was somehow comforting to him. Isabelle was the only person, other than Jace, that loved Alec as much as Magnus. Jace had gone off the grid, but Magnus didn’t blame him. It took all of his willpower not to pack up and leave. If it weren’t for the shadowhunters, he would never step foot in New York again.

If it hadn’t been for Alec, he would have decayed, became an unfeeling, slowly dying and freezing warlock. He had been close to that, too, until Alec walked into that party and all bets were off. Alec Lightwood, shadowhunter, boyfriend, and defender of the world.

****  
  



End file.
